Who hates those @#$&*! chip sealed highways?

[John E Davies]

Does your highway department use chip sealing to maintain asphalt highways and secondary roads? It is about 80% less costly than laying down a nice smooth ribbon of new asphalt, so more and more cash strapped DOTs are using it. If you don’t know what it is, consider yourself very lucky.

 

https://www.idahostatesman.com/latest-news/article214831975.html

 

Nothing ruins a beautiful summer trip more than seeing a sign that says “Chip sealing in progress. Speed limit 35 mph next 40 miles”. If there is a detour, even if it means an extra hour or two of driving, I will take it.

 

Driving on this stuff among semi truck traffic is even worse. With a closing speed of 70 mph on a two lane road, rocks spang off your grill and hood and crack into your windshield. The tarry mess coats your rocker panels, speckles your wheels, and builds up deep layers in the crannies of your wheel wells, where it hardens into rock.

 

On a long stretch people get frustrated and drive at normal highway speeds which really kicks up a rooster tail of rocks.

 

I once saw a large bunch of Corvettes on a group drive going down a highway that was being sealed. I am sure the owners were unhappy.

 

Bicyclists and motorcyclists despise the stuff - the loose gravel is like riding on ice. Bike riders fall and get sandpapered. Motorcyclists spend hours trying to get the tarry stones off the engine and chassis.

 

Junk gets all over the underside of the trailer and dust goes everywhere. Chip sealing is one big reason I installed lots of  stone protection on “Mouse”.

 

Do you encounter chip sealed roads in your travels? Did you say bad words? How do you clean the stuff off your vehicles?

 

The thing that bothers me most of all is that here in WA and ID there is no early warning. You may be twenty miles past the last major intersection when you suddenly encounter road construction. I wish they would post an alert sign way back suggesting you take an alternate route. I know that Corvette owners would appreciate it....

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

 

 

[Philips53]

Do these problems remain after the coat on the road is dry or only prior to it setting?

[John E Davies]

The initial treatment is the worst, the gravel sits on the freah tar, is rolled down and after a day or two it is brushed and the excess is collected. Then a week later they spray a top coat to seal the new gravel layer, and that oil gets all over the side of your vehicles too.

 

Once fully completed and cured it acts just like a regular road but with a very rough surface texture

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA.

 

 

[Overland]

It seems to be more prevalent where you live.  At least I haven't run into it much in the southeast or southwest, but have come across two or three roads being chip sealed in the northwest.

[mountainoliver]

I ran into this type of mess last year in Michigan. Never had seen it before so was unaware of the absolute mess it causes until it was too late. Took most of a day to clean it off of my truck and trailer. I 100% agree with John, from now on I’ll go miles out my way to avoid it!

[topgun2]

I'll give you another reason to not like the chip sealing method of repairing roads.  As a road goes from good to worse cracks form and potholes appear.  Chip sealing fills in those cracks and potholes making for a nice looking surface - for a time.  However, those cracks and potholes develop for a number of reasons to include improper road bed construction.  Obviously, if nothing is done to repair the base of the road then many of these cracks and/or potholes will simply reappear in fairly short order.

 

Perhaps if one does a proper cost analysis it just still might be cheaper to use this chip/seal method.  But if you consider the costs of higher frequency maintenance, total traffic delays (i.e. several short term delays versus one long delay), repair costs for bodies and windshields, and vehicle cleanup time, I'm guessing that at best the cost is a wash.  Besides, like Grandpa used to say, "if you're going to do a job, do it right the first time".

 

Another thought - it would seem that there are a fair number of us that like to keep our Olivers clean and with as few chips in the gelcoat as possible.  However, I know of a good number of people that actually like things like chip/seal.  They even seem to seek it out!  Apparently the objective is to see just how much of that "stuff" they can collect so that it holds that rusted bucket of bolts together.  Kind of like a spray in liner for the entire underside and sides of the vehicle.  Heck - if you find a nice dirt road shortly after doing 20 miles of chip/seal - the vehicle will look exactly the same from top to bottom and it will be somewhat protected from even more rust.

 

Bill

[John E Davies]

It seems to be more prevalent where you live. At least I haven’t run into it much in the southeast or southwest, but have come across two or three roads being chip sealed in the northwest.

Colorado does not to the best of my knowledge. WA, OR, WY, ID and MT certainly do. I bet the states with financial problems do this instead of resurfacing, as a band aid fix. The “poor states” especially with lower popilations and smaller tax bases probably have no choice.

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

[Mike and Carol]

Our small town uses it for city streets. Every couple of years we have a mess. They announce it ahead of time and we try to be out of town when they are doing it. I agree with Bill, why don’t they just put down a quality surface once and be done with it instead of this constant mess. Mike

[BackofBeyond]

In the outback of TN, usually only on the country roads, out in the sparsely traveled areas of our area, and for short term repair. Mostly they do a real overlay, but I find that to be almost as bad - as the trucks feeding the asphalt machine track the loose oil/tar all over the other roads. I'll drive into the weeds to avoid it if possible.

 

However, my wife seems to know where these spots are located - she waits until I have washed/waxed/detailed her CRV, then when she returns home with a Leopard looking vehicle, she asks me how to get the mess off...… happy wife, happy life.

[BackofBeyond]

Apparently the objective is to see just how much of that “stuff” they can collect so that it holds that rusted bucket of bolts together. Kind of like a spray in liner for the entire underside and sides of the vehicle. Heck – if you find a nice dirt road shortly after doing 20 miles of chip/seal – the vehicle will look exactly the same from top to bottom and it will be somewhat protected from even more rust.

 

So, you've met some of my kin -.....seems to be one of the better redneck engineered ideas - I know I had an old Ford truck that seemed to last forever due to a judicious application of road tar. ;-)